Although you could definitely leave them plain, I decided to embellish the leather keychains I posted earlier this week. Adding a constellation or text is as easy as punching holes or swinging a hammer.

Constellation Keychain

Materials:
Leather keychain cutout (template here)
Leather punch (similar to the one I used)
Scissors
Masking tape
Constellation template

Methods:
1. The constellation templates are all sized for a circular keychain with a diameter of approximately 2 inches. Save and print out the one you wish to use, then cut it out and tape it to the leather. For mine I used the constellation of my star sign, Virgo.

2. Use the leather punch to make holes through the stars on the template. It’ll look better if you vary the size of the holes, so I indicated some of the larger stars with a little starburst.

3. After you’ve punched all of the holes, remove the template and assemble the keychain as this tutorial indicates.

Stamped Keychain

It’s a good idea to start with something simple to get the hang of leather stamping. Initials or a name are always a good choice! But these are fun because you can stamp whatever word or phrase you want. Label your keys with what they’re for, or pick a reminder or inspirational phrase.
Materials:
Leather keychain cutout (template here)
Metal stamp set (I used this set)
Masking tape
Hammer
Sponge and water

I recommend that you practice stamping on a test piece of leather. Depending on the finish of the leather, it may react to water and stamping differently. You may not be able to make a lasting impression in some types of leather. And it’s good to practice so you can figure out how hard you need to hit the stamp and how to line up the letters.

1. Wet the leather keychain with the sponge and water.

2. I found it was helpful to use a piece of masking tape to help me line up the stamps. Apply the tape so you can line up the stamps with one edge of the tape.

3. One by one, stamp the letters of your words or phrase by placing the stamp on the leather and hitting it with a light hammer blow. Be careful! There is no way to erase mistakes, so make sure to line up the letters. Double check that you’ve grabbed the right letter, and that it’s not upside down!

4. Allow the leather to dry.

For the one below on the left, I used a paper hole punch to make holes in the constellation template, then I stamped it with a star metal stamp and then alphabet stamps.

Have fun!